We Love Paris in the...

Where to eat, drink and shop this spring

ENLARGE

Café de Flore
Alamy

Updated May 10, 2013 6:50 a.m. ET

"WHEN SPRING CAME," Hemingway wrote in his decadent Parisian memoir "A Moveable Feast," "even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest." The writer went to the races, walked along the rue des Saints-Pères and ate at Michaud's.

Related Reading

To find out where a modern man might be happiest in Paris this spring, we asked five local creative types to recommend their favorite places.

From cafés that capture the spirit of the city to shops where you find items with that certain je ne sais quoi, here's our connoisseur's guide to embracing your inner bon vivant.

—Rose Hoare

ENLARGE

Adrien Pelletier
Rebecca Thomas

Adrien Pelletier

31, creative director of L'Officiel magazine

VISIT // Palais de Tokyo. It's not unfailingly good, but that's what I like about it: they take risks. Their shows are far less commercial than most places in Paris. 13 ave. du Président Wilson; palaisdetokyo.com

SHOP // L'Eclaireur. It's sort of a landmark in Paris. They are the ones who brought the Belgian designers to Paris, and Japanese designers, and they're still really, really good. You will always find something special, and the service is above all others. 12 rue Malher; leclaireur.com

DRINK // Raymond Club. Bar Raymond is a nice place, but you have to know what's going on. There are lots of different parties and DJs. When it's good, it's usually because somebody's having a birthday. 13 rue Dussoubs

ENLARGE

The café at Mosquée de Paris
Alamy

EAT // Le Felteu. It's run out of a basement. You go down into the dark and the walls are covered with wood panels. It's run by this biker guy with big tattoos whose Harley-Davidson is often parked in front. He serves a very simple menu, three or four things, and it's heavy, earthy, French flavors—everything comes with gratin dauphinois. It's super affordable. Once you've been there, you'll always come back. 15 rue Pecquay

VISIT // Mosquée de Paris. Go to the mosque, get a massage at the hammam, and after that, go to the café and have mint tea. Their pastries are amazing. It's not overly posh—it's actually quite simple, but it's the real thing. 2bis place du Puits de l'Ermite; mosquee-de-paris.org

ENLARGE

Louis Wong
Rebecca Thomas

Louis Wong

36, co-designer of French fashion label A.P.C.

COFFEE // Café de Flore. In Paris, you can be in a café, and that's an activity in itself. Café de Flore is my favorite because you can just stare at people—kids who go to the posh schools, typical St.-Germain journalists, sometimes actors... It's really the pure spirit of Paris. I come nearly every morning. 172 blvd. St.-Germain; cafedeflore.fr

SHOP // Deyrolle. They have really amazing taxidermy—so beautiful. The outside looks like nothing, but you walk upstairs and it's literally like a museum. You can buy insects, framed. They have thousands of choices; you can choose if you want a spider or butterfly, you can choose the color.... I love it. 46 rue du Bac; deyrolle.com

ENLARGE

Deyrolle
APImages

DRINK // Le Mary Celeste. It looks like an English pub. It has this giant round bar, and you can have oysters and Brooklyn Lager. It's a really trendy place, but what I like is, it's a bit more cordial, a bit more friendly. Sometimes Paris bars can be a bit too much of a scene. 1 rue Commines; lemaryceleste.com

SHOP // Doursoux. It's a giant military outlet. They have lots of really cool stuff. Some of it is new, like nylon army gear, and then they have really old trousers or overalls, camo T-shirts, army bags, chinos, jackets... 3 passage Alexandre; doursoux.com

VISIT // Fondation Le Corbusier. There are millions of museums in Paris, but if you like architecture, the 16th, in the north, is a really beautiful area. There are so many different styles— '20s, '30s, '50s—and you have the Fondation Le Corbusier and the Corbusier house [Maison La Roche] there. 8 square du Docteur Blanche; fondationlecorbusier.fr

ENLARGE

Louis Rogé
Rebecca Thomas

Louis Rogé

25, known as Brodinski, DJ and co-founder of Bromance Records

SHOP + EAT // The Broken Arm. We always have lunch there. They change the menu every day, and they have really good clothes. I come here to get something nice. 12 rue Perrée; the-broken-arm.com

DRINK // Social Club. It's one of those places you know is going to be good all night. They play everything—hip hop, dance, electronic; every niche is well-represented. Go after midnight. 142 rue Montmartre; parissocialclub.com

EAT // Anahi. They do the best guacamole I've ever tasted in Paris, and they have super-good ceviche. They have crazy Argentinian beef, and good rum, too. 49 rue Volta

VISIT // Musée du quai Branly. They have a really good record collection of traditional music from every country. You can go in and listen, and learn a lot of stuff. 37 quai Branly; quaibranly.fr

ENLARGE

Stéphane Lebenson
Rebecca Thomas

Stéphane Lebenson

40, director of the Lebenson Gallery

DRINK // Hôtel Jules & Jim. I like it because it's quite discreet—you can bring clients—and the cocktails are good. The cocktail thing is really something happening in Paris more and more, and a lot of people like going to hotels for drinks. 11 rue des Gravilliers; hoteljulesetjim.com

SHOP // Yvon Lambert Gallery. I used to work with Yvon Lambert. To me, his is the best gallery in the world. He's got the best artists, the best programming.... He's the king of the art galleries. 108 rue Vieille du Temple; yvon-lambert.com

ENLARGE

Jardin du Luxembourg
Getty Images

VISIT // Jardin du Luxembourg. It has to be really hot for Parisians to sit in a park. But we have Luxembourg. You always go there if you get a bit of sun. You take a book and ask a woman, "What are you reading?" I used to do that when I was younger. rue de Vaugirard

EAT // Schwartz's Deli. Eating out is like a national sport. I'm fed up with the fuss, but there's a place I go often called Schwartz's. They do pastrami, burgers...it's a bit like a Brooklyn diner, but it's really good food. 16 rue des Ecouffes; schwartzsdeli.fr

IMPRESS // Le Meurice. It's a really classical hotel, right in front of the Jardins des Tuileries. You think it's made for tourists, but lots of Parisians go there. I took Frieze clients there for lunch and had steak. 228 rue de Rivoli; lemeurice.com

ENLARGE

Andrew Woodhead
Rebecca Thomas

Andrew Woodhead

26, graphic designer and musician

COFFEE // Kooka Boora. This is a spot to come for coffee. It's good in spring—you've got a terrace, so you can hang out, if you'd like to. The 9th is my favorite place in Paris because it's in between the rush of everything, but there are new things opening all the time. 53 ave. Trudaine

EAT // Maison Mère. It has a French brasserie vibe, but it's a bit classier: they do burgers, but the fries are fancy. It's open late, too. I like to eat after 9:30 p.m., and what's cool about Paris is you don't have to be scared to ring up and say: Do you have a table for 10 p.m.? 4 rue de Navarin; lamaisonmere.fr

DRINK // L\Inconnu. It's a bar which closes at 2 a.m., but it has the feeling of a club. You can go there and just stand and relax, but it's good, dance-y music.17-19 rue de Mazagran; inconnu-bar.com

ENLARGE

L\Inconnu
none

PICNIC // Parc des Buttes Chaumont. Something I love to do when the sun's out is go to Buttes Chaumont because you can sit on the grass. I'd take some rosé or some beers, get baguettes, charcuterie, cheese, and stay there with lots of friends until it closes at 10. rue Botzaris

VISIT // Musée Rodin. It's like an old château and if you go out the back, you can chill and draw and spend as long as you like. It's just a nice relaxing garden, but it's large. 79 rue de Varenne; musee-rodin.fr

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.